Sunday, December 10, 2006

It's especially intriguing that on the final page of The Life of a Pin-Up Legend, the authors quote a psychologist who studies facial appearance. The comments of Professor Michael Cunningham are a fascinating explanation of the ageless appeal of Bettie Page: "I took nine measurements of Bettie Page's features using an electronic micrometer, and then standardized those measures as ratios to the size of the head, I compared Bettie's facial metrics to a database containing measurements of both other stars and of uncelebrated women,” Cunningham said. “The numbers confirmed what most pin-up viewers might intuitively perceive. The height and width of Bettie Page's eyes were much greater than average, giving her the appearance of child-like innocence and playfulness. That effect was compounded by her very large smile, and her eyebrows, which were set higher than average. The combination of child-like and expressive features made her face appear both open and non-threatening."

It's especially intriguing that on the final page of The Life of a Pin-Up Legend, the authors quote a psychologist who studies facial appearance. The comments of Professor Michael Cunningham are a fascinating explanation of the ageless appeal of Bettie Page: "I took nine measurements of Bettie Page's features using an electronic micrometer, and then standardized those measures as ratios to the size of the head, I compared Bettie's facial metrics to a database containing measurements of both other stars and of uncelebrated women,” Cunningham said. “The numbers confirmed what most pin-up viewers might intuitively perceive. The height and width of Bettie Page's eyes were much greater than average, giving her the appearance of child-like innocence and playfulness. That effect was compounded by her very large smile, and her eyebrows, which were set higher than average. The combination of child-like and expressive features made her face appear both open and non-threatening."Had Bettie's cheekbones and chin been larger, she might have seemed intimidatingly beautiful. But those features were in the normal range, so the overall appearance is not that of an unobtainable ice princess, but rather that of a pleasant and eager-to-please girl next door. Bettie's long-term appeal may be due, in part, to the contrast between her facial appearance and that of her body and apparel. Her face gives the impression of a sweet and wholesome girl who would not turn a guy down for a date or make him feel inadequate. At the same time, her black lace and sensuous pose suggest that the date will not be limited to a chat at the malt shop and a chaste kiss at the door. The perception of sweetness and sexuality, of pleasure without threat, may capture the heart of the ambivalent 20th Century American man. (Read the whole article)